


flowers on your hair

by mnheecore



Category: Cravity (Band), Produce 101 (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Flowers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Language of Flowers, M/M, lapslock, rated t because they curse, there's just a lot of flowers, there's not much else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25894120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnheecore/pseuds/mnheecore
Summary: “lillies, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, androses!you’re really in love with me, aren’t you?”minhee’s eyes widen at the remark, hands instinctly hitting the other’s back. “i’m taking it back!” he retorts as he grabs at the flowers, yunseong giggling as he tries to hide the bouquet from minhee’s grasp.or5 times minhee got yunseong flowers + 1 time yunseong got minhee something that’s not really flowers
Relationships: Hwang Yunseong/Kang Minhee, past Hwang Yunseong/Keum Donghyun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	flowers on your hair

**Author's Note:**

> if you're reading my current au, this is to celebrate au yunseong's rejection! it has nothing to do with the au, but i feel like hwangmini nation would be too robbed if i don't give them this so there, take it sndkfns enjoy the fic!!

**winter.**

if there was one constant thing in minhee’s life, it would be flowers. 

  


well, flowers and hwang yunseong.

  


minhee had always loved playing with flowers, even as a child, especially as a child. so, it wasn’t a shock to his family when he announced that he was going to take botany as his major. what they didn’t expect though, is minhee starting his own flower shop.

  


they thought, with minhee’s natural talent in science and his remarkable wits, he would approach botany in its scientific aspect, but minhee always wanted to be a florist. and now here he is, a 22-year-old graduate and owner of his own flower shop in downtown seoul, and he couldn’t be any happier. 

  


hwang yunseong was a different story. minhee had been friends with yunseong ever before he could even speak. as a baby, he would always find next-door neighbor hwang yunseong playing with him in his 2-year-old innocence. 

  


since then, they’d been attached by the hip, only ever separating when yunseong left their hometown for college. in minhee’s eyes, it wasn’t a major change because it was only a matter of time until he followed yunseong to college. 

  


and that’s what they did. after high school, minhee packed up his bags and took the first train to seoul. he moved to yunseong’s junior dorm and stayed there until he graduated. yunseong though, seems to always leave him behind, because after he graduated, he took a job too far from minhee.

  


they never lost contact though. every day, yunseong would call minhee at 19:14 to check up on him and minhee would text yunseong before going to sleep and after waking up, just to alert his hyung. 

  


so, when minhee received a call from yunseong on a wednesday afternoon, he was skeptical.

  


“yunseong hyung?” minhee speaks into the phone perched on a plant pot before picking it up and pressing it onto his ear. “why did you call so suddenly? i’m pretty sure it’s not yet 19:14, hyung.” he joked, not thinking about his words. he immediately regrets having such a light tone when he hears sniffles from the other end of the call. 

  


“i’m going back to seoul, minhee. i can’t stay here anymore.” this only sent minhee to even more confusion. 

  


yunseong loved staying in daejeon. he had a stable job he loved (minhee listened to yunseong complain about his bosses, but never about the actual job; no matter how much yunseong denied it, minhee knew he loved what he did) , he stayed in a lovely apartment (minhee could confirm, he’d been in there and slept soundly on their couch, that’s how comfortable it was.), and had a loving boyfriend by his side (minhee swears the two were going to outdo minhee and yunseong’s clinginess, that’s how much they loved each other).

  


there was no reason to move back out to seoul, not unless one of those constants were suddenly gone. and as far as minhee remembered, yunseong just received a promotion from his job and was financially stable, so that only meant one thing.

  


“donghyun cheated.”

  


“jesus christ, yunseong. i’m really sorry.” minhee couldn’t believe it. he was convinced that the two would end up marrying each other in the long run. whenever he was with the couple, he never sensed tension, just love and admiration emanating from both parties. he saw the way yunseong looked at donghyun from afar, the way his usually sullen eyes would form little crescents and his mouth easing its way into a soft smile. he saw the way donghyun clung to yunseong as if his life depended on it, the way he held his hand, never wanting to let go. 

  


he thought he saw love in the two of them. but that proved to be a lie, because if it was, hwang yunseong wouldn’t be crying to him through a telephone on a cloudy wednesday. “i’ll be right there to pick you up, are you near?”

  


“no, i haven’t even boarded yet, i just needed to hear your voice.” yunseong’s voice falters at the last phrase, barely holding back another sob. “can you stay with me through the ride?” 

  


it isn’t much to ask, but minhee knows yunseong took all his courage to ask him that. he once said he never wanted to be a bother to others, so when the younger heard those words spill out of yunseong, he replied with a soft “of course, hyung. and i’ll be there when you get off the train, is that good?” 

  


“you always know what to do, thank you mini.” his voice was a whisper, barely audible through the loud background of busy riders, but minhee heard it, and that was enough.

  


apparently, keum donghyun had been cheating on yunseong for a year. that only sent minhee to even more confusion. donghyun and yunseong only got together 2 years ago, and they moved to daejeon together a mere 6 months ago. that meant he’d been cheating for half their relationship, and even lived with yunseong after he had begun cheating. 

  


to say minhee was bewildered would be an absolute understatement. of all the people in the world, he would never think keum donghyun could cheat. the boy was juggling 2 jobs, all while being in his last year of college, when would he have time to cheat? but yunseong saw what he saw. 

  


yunseong barely held it in when he recalled opening lee eunsang’s door and seeing his boyfriend’s legs wrapped around his co-worker’s waist. he said they didn’t notice him entering, only realizing when yunseong spoke up. and when retelling to minhee the moment keumdong ran after him, begging him to stay, yunseong had been a sobbing mess. 

  


“i really didn’t want him out of my life. i still love him, god dammit. but he hurt me, and god, minhee, it hurts so much.” and minhee believed him. he heard the pain in his voice, the sheer vulnerability was transparent from the way he uttered every word. “i wish i could stay, i wish i could give him a chance. but- if he had been cheating on me for a year, then did he even love me in the first place, minhee?” 

  


the florist’s head went blank as he heard his friend desperately crying. he knew nothing about love, the only time he ever experienced love was his high school boyfriend, and that lasted for 3 months. “i don’t know hyung, i’m sorry.” his voice was filled with remorse, he really wanted to give yunseong the comfort he needs, but he was no use when it came to love. 

  


actually, he was no use when it came to feelings. he was always closed off and self-preserving, never opening up to anyone about his feelings because he himself couldn’t understand them, let alone stringing words to form a cohesive sentence about it. no, the only way he knew how to communicate was through flowers.

  


_flowers. of course._

  


everybody knew about the language of flowers, how people pick particular flowers to send a message and convey their emotions. most importantly, he knew this. he knew what each flower mean, how what they symbolize, and which flowers fit each other. christ, he even took a course in floriography last spring!

  


he glances at the watch, a bright 17:29 flashing back at him in digital font. yunseong had called him 36 minutes ago, and his train would be arriving in seoul before the night fell. he had plenty of time to fix a bouquet. the shop wasn’t busy as well. only one person went in while he had his phone call, and that was just a single-stemmed rose. excited, minhee turns the sign over, revealing a ‘we’re closed, come see us tomorrow!’ in deep pink ink. he turns his attention to his sulking friend, no longer crying, but still ranting by the phone. “ah, yunseong hyung, i’m sorry to be doing this, i need to catch the ride to the station, can i hang up? can you handle the next few minutes alone for now?” 

  


minhee was hesitant, he didn’t want to leave his friend behind, more so at this state, but if he wanted to fix a bouquet and get a ride to seoul station before sun down, he can’t have his hyung by his ear. “do you really need to go?” yunseong weakly whispered. that only sent minhee to guilt.

  


no.

  


he really didn’t need to go, but if he really wanted to do something for yunseong, this was the only way he could do that and make it in time. “i’m sorry hyung, i’ll make it up to you when you get here.” “you better.” he weakly jokes. minhee laughed silently, and waited until yunseong ended the call. 

  


as soon as the familiar beep was heard, minhee got busy. he scrambled to the chrysanthemums, picking only the fullest blooms. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. he picked the pink ones, not really having a meaning altogether, but the soft hue usually brought a gentle feel to a bouquet, and that’s what his hyung needed right now, comfort, and a place where he felt safe. 

  


a haven. the gears on minhee’s head were turning, everything was falling to pieces, as did the bouquet. he walked to where his queen anne’s laces were planted, gazing at the white sprigs before picking a few and strategically placing them where the spaces where empty. it was simple, minhee didn’t think twice putting a few more flowers in there too, letting the soft hues of pink and white pepper the bundle in his hand. he affixed the spray of flowers in his hand with white paper, finally securing it with a pink ribbon. he looked at his creation, it wasn’t bad for something haphazardly put together. he checked the time before rushing towards the door. _17:34_. if he walked fast enough, he could take the train to seoul station at 17:45, arriving just a few minutes early to yunseong’s stop at 18:00. 

  


he took off, bouquet in hand and phone in the other. he wanted to keep his promise to his hyung, 

  


_“i’ll be there when you get off the train, is that good?”_

  


he needed to be on seoul station before the clock hands turned straight, so he put his long legs to good use and power walked the way to the city hall station, got a ticket and sat there for a few minutes before heading off to where yunseong would be dropped off. he tried dialing the older boy, but it seemed that he put it on silent. it was either he was sleeping, or he was gazing out into the window, crying again. 

  


both possibilities worried minhee. if he were gazing, he’d be left with his own thoughts, and that was never a good thing with a sulky yunseong. and if he were asleep, well, that’s going to a much bigger problem. the thoughts stayed on the boy for a while, only snapping out of it when a distinct chime blared through the speakers, announcing the arrival of the next train. he searched frantically for the familiar head of hair amongst the sea of busy and dispirited people. 

  


_oh no._ he swears, if his hyung literally fell asleep on his train and missed his stop, he would not hear the end of it from him. he was pacing at the back of the crowd, waiting until the cluster of people had dispersed. minhee glanced over the remaining people before trying to call his hyung, and there he was, tripping over his feet, avoiding the mounting passengers. 

  


_found you._

  


yunseong didn’t see him immediately, so minhee had the time to take a good look at him. he stood there, hands cutely gripping his backpack, wearing what he would guess was a haphazardly put together outfit, looking lost. his eyes were bloodshot red, obvious indications that he had just been crying; the tear stains on his cheeks didn’t help hiding that fact either. his hair was disheveled, _hyung had probably gripping on them earlier_. yunseong always did that, pulling and tugging on his hair when he got frustrated or angry. that’s why he wasn’t surprised to see the bird’s nest atop yunseong’s head. he knew he was heartbroken and vulnerable, but his appearance made no effort to mask it. if he was distraught, he sure looked the part. 

  


“yunseong-ah!” minhee called out to his hyung who was, surprisingly, still unaware of his presence. yunseong whipped his head towards the familiar voice, face lighting up at the sight of his precious dongsaeng. “yah, i’m still older, you brat.” yunseong scolded minhee, but the younger already had his arms wrapped around yunseong’s torso. “just say you missed me, hyung” minhee hummed, he was relishing his hyung’s warmth. yunseong was always warm, even though he had just gotten out of the air-conditioned train. 

  


“maybe i did.” yunseong smiled. he rarely sees the kid, but when he does, he makes every moment count, because it was rare seeing him again. now there he was, in downtown seoul, engulfed in minhee’s arms. he should feel worried, agitated. he’d just moved out of his comfortable lifestyle in daejeon after all, and currently had nowhere to stay at. but right then and there, at platform 58, in the arms of the friend he treasures more than anything, he was content. 

  


“i brought you flowers.” minhee entangled himself off of yunseong, making sure he doesn’t hit the beautiful arrangement of pinks and whites in his hand. he makes a few adjustments, picks off strays that got caught while on the way. there were quite a lot, and minhee was getting frustrated at the bouquet. he was about to move another flower when yunseong took the bunch from his hand.

  


“chrysanthemums? right?” he looked at the flowers fondly, as if they were hand-crafted and put together by an angel. “yeah, they’re not your favorite, but the meaning spoke to me.” minhee smiled, almost looking abashed when yunseong thoroughly inspected the flowers. “mind reminding me what they mean?” he laughed. 

  


“as if you don’t know what it means, don’t even try me yunnie.” yunseong snickered at the remark. “if you want to fulfill these flower meanings mini, let’s go home.” minhee grinned at that. 

  


they were walking towards the exit when yunseong messed with minhee again. “queen anne’s laces? really?” “you love them.” minhee glared at him, playfully annoyed. yunseong just smiled, whistled a soft tune before speaking up again.

  


“not as much as i love you, though.”

first snow.

yunseong was clingy. 

  


no, he really was. 

  


most people usually assumed he was this intimidating, scary person who never experienced affection, and when the situation needs it, he is. 

  


but on normal days? yunseong was just a walking koala, needing to be holding minhee near. and sure, he does it subtly, but they both know he always wants touch. 

  


minhee wasn’t one to complain anyway. he also liked the skinship. but hwang yunseong and heartbreak apparently meant heightened clinginess as minhee found himself pinned down on his own bed, with yunseong miraculously beside him, and iron grip on his waist. 

  


as far as minhee could remember, yunseong slept on the guest room, the very same room he and keumdong stayed at during their visits to seoul.

  


oh. minhee realized the situation. _that’s why he’s here._

  


it was stupid of minhee to even suggest that he stay there. the more he thought about it, the more he realized that yunseong was uncomfortable staying in that room. when he initially pitched the idea to yunseong, he failed to notice his eyes glancing across the room. when he took yunseong’s hand to show him where it is, he failed to feel the warmth on his palm. he didn’t take into account yunseong’s fidgeting, only taking it as unfamiliarity, which was again, stupid, because yunseong had been here before.

  


yunseong probably had an attack last night, that’s why he came crawling to minhee’s bed. _ah kang minhee_ , that was really insensitive. 

  


he probably wanted to forget everything about his past lover, and to be put into a room where all things reminded him of keumdong was definitely not a good choice. now minhee had to deal with a sleeping bear beside him, seemingly not wanting to let him go.

  


minhee sighed, this is going to be a long morning.

  


he tried to pry the elder’s grip on his waist off, but everytime it would loosen, yunseong only held him back again tighter. he figured the only way to get anything done was to wake his hyung up, which was never a good idea because he’d only get clingier. but when he looked at the clock hanging from his wall, he had no choice but to suck it up and tolerate yunseong’s moods. 

  


“yunseong hyung, get your ass up, will you?” he let his voice project through the room, hoping that he’d wake up from just that. 

  


he didn’t.

  


if he were being honest, it would be much better if yunseong stayed at home, get him some rest, clear his mind off of things. he’d give him the rest he deserves, if not for the two arms attached to his torso.

  


he closed his eyes, thinking of what to do now. he eyed the teddy bear yunseong threw underneath the bed to make space for himself. _maybe_...

  


he carefully took yunseong’s arms, making it loose enough that he can slip underneath. the action once again prompted yunseong to clutch minhee tighter, but this time, just before minhee could be throttled into his hyung’s embrace, he reached for the large stuffed toy and put it in between them. 

  


yunseong didn’t seem to notice that it was no longer the tall boy he was holding, but the very same toy he discarded last night. when minhee was off the bed and free from the older, he took a quick look at the sight on his bed. 

  


he smiled, quickly snapping a photo on his phone, yunseong hyung will never hear the end of this one, a soft smile plastered in his face. he gathered his things and hopped on to the shower, eager to start the day. from the looks of it, it was going to be a long thursday, so he had to get going. 

  


when minhee got out of the shower, he expected an asleep bear-like human hugging a teddy bear to his chest. instead, he was welcomed by a sweet aroma filling the air and a soft sizzling from the kitchen. chuckling to himself, he went out to the living room and lo and behold, there he was, apron cinched around his waist, cooking breakfast for the two of them. 

  


yunseong’s gaze was light, but focused. he had always been the one cooking for both of them, being the older one. and also, because minhee couldn’t cook for the life of him, so yunseong took it upon himself to make sure no kitchen was going to be burned because of the younger. 

  


yunseong partially failed on that part, because minhee had once burned his kitchen in an attempt to satisfy his hunger. thankfully, fire alarms exist and the fire was extinguished before any harm was caused. 

  


suffice to say, minhee just ordered take-out from then on.

  


it sent minhee memories of when they were dorming, the days that felt so far away, but still so familiar. it reminded him of the simpler times of due dates and quizzes, away from the hustle and bustle of working. 

  


more importantly, it reminded him of a flower, a specific plant that would fit perfectly for this occasion. he looked out the living room window, then at the figure cooking in the kitchen. he had not yet realized minhee’s presence yet, giving him enough time to sneak outside to the front gardens.

  


he picked a lone mistletoe from the pots, giggling as he went back inside. just as he was closing the door, yunseong appeared in the living room, apron and all. “where did you go?” 

  


“i’m not telling you.” minhee playfully grimaced, obviously amused by his own antics.

  


“no pancakes for you then.”

  


minhee’s face fell at the mention of pancakes, pouting at the older. it had been a long time since he had pancakes, and it was even longer since he had good pancakes. the last time he cooked, it was either burnt or almost raw. he didn’t try cooking pancakes since.

  


yunseong smiled at the pout. “are you really upset or do you just want me to kiss your pout away, kang minhee? don’t be sly with me, i saw that mistletoe.” his smile was mischievous, he knew what he was doing, and he was enjoying it.

  


minhee on the other hand, was flustered. he just wanted some pancakes in this chilly morning, but here yunseong was, flirting with him as if he hadn’t just ended his 2-year relationship yesterday. he threw the mistletoe at yunseong’s chest, the older laughing as he did. in an attempt to mask his shock, minhee shot back “just because you lost keumdong doesn’t mean you can flirt the nearest person you can find, hyung. especially if that person is _me_.”

  


yunseong gasped dramatically, he knew minhee was kidding, but it didn’t hurt to mess with the florist from time to time. “that’s really insensitive, minhee. what if i just wanted to flirt with you from the very beginning? now here you are, rejecting me before i even made a move.” 

  


it was yunseong’s turn to pout. what was up with him this morning? was it the coffee? was he always like this when he had break-up withdrawals? he himself had never seen yunseong after a break up, so he wouldn’t know. in fact, no one would know, because keumdong was yunseong’s first boyfriend, and therefore, his first break up as well.

  


before minhee could utter a word in retaliation to yunseong’s weird behavior, the cook ran to the kitchen, going back with two plates in hand, balancing a stack of pancakes on each plate.

  


now, minhee and yunseong were rarely together nowadays, their preferences have changed and the favorites they thought they knew were now different. but one thing always stays the same, and this time, it’s minhee’s favorite fruit.

  


when yunseong got up and heard water running from the bathroom earlier, he thought it would be a good idea to cook minhee breakfast like he did at their college dorms. he debated if the fruit was still minhee’s favorite, but seeing as the fridge was stocked with strawberries, he figured it out. 

  


so, when he turns around with a pile of pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream at the top, he was glad he got the reaction he expected.

  


“you put in strawberries?” minhee asked in a small voice. it really was a cute sight. the warm sunlight hitting minhee’s face in all the right places didn’t help as well. yunseong’s heart couldn’t help but swell. “nothing but the best pancakes for the best boy.” 

  


yunseong smiled as he said those words. it was true, minhee had always been there for him, and it’s about time he showed some appreciation to the younger boy. minhee smiled back, his pearly white teeth showing as he put the plates down on the table. 

  


“thank you, yunseong hyung.” minhee grinned, extremely grateful for his hyung’s presence. “it’s nothing. i should be the one thanking you.” 

  


“and for what?” minhee said as he chewed through the meal. he had begun devouring the pancakes, he really must have been hungry then.

  


“for being there.” yunseong whispered, soft enough that it seemed like he’d said nothing, but loud enough that minhee could hear. he was gazing through minhee’s window as he saw a snowflake fall from the dark clouds from above. he was looking at the distance, almost longingly, and if he had been a little more distracted, he would have missed minhee’s voice fluttering with the soft breeze.

  


“i’ll always be there. as long as you need me, hyung.”

**spring**.

it was a damn busy day at the shop.

  


minhee hadn’t realized it was nearing april, meaning wintertime was coming to a close and spring was close by. 

  


of course, locals took this as an opportunity to buy as many flowers as they want, which was good for the business, yes, but minhee’s stress level was getting off the railing. if he weren’t busy accompanying customers to flowers they wanted to plant or give to a significant other, he’d be tending to the flowers in his back garden.

  


in short, the shop was really becoming a chore. 

  


he barely got sleep, and the times he did, he’d be up and running on caffeine again, busy with his hands. 

  


he couldn’t even remember the last time he had breakfast with yunseong. 

  


the last he could recall was that morning after he moved in, where he cooked for the two of them, and that was two weeks ago.

  


two weeks ago. had it already been two weeks?

  


minhee wasn’t the only one busy though. ever since yunseong came back to seoul, he’d been scouring the city to apply for jobs. he couldn’t maintain the one he had on daejeon. the travel was just too far and it would be too much of a hassle to go back and forth every day.

  


so, after he had ringed up his boss and sent his resignation papers, he was out of the apartment at early dawn and back just before it struck 12 am. because while minhee was plenty rich and could afford the apartment by himself, yunseong decided he wanted to pay rent. 

  


which didn’t make the most sense. he doesn’t even stay in his own room half the time. the only purpose his room serves is a home to his clutter. his clothes were in minhee’s closet, (minhee would be lying if he said he didn’t steal from yunseong’s clothes every once in a while, and yunseong wouldn’t deny that he put his clothes there for that exact reason) and he would cuddle next to a sleeping minhee once he gets home. 

  


yunseong wakes earlier than minhee, so he usually cooks in the morning and leaves food for minhee. he’d be gone the moment minhee wakes, and he wouldn’t return until minhee goes to bed. 

  


meanwhile, minhee knows yunseong wouldn’t buy dinner for himself, so he orders takeout as late as he can, eating dinner and going to sleep. he’d say he orders late because he wants a continuous routine, but he and yunseong know that he orders late to make sure the food is still warm when yunseong gets home for dinner.

  


their busy schedules were bound to result to something, and result something it did.

  


just as he was closing up shop, yunseong called. 19:14, just as scheduled. he was closing particularly late today, when yunseong asked where he was, he was shocked to hear he was still in the shop. “close up immediately.” he grumbled through the phone.

  


“i already am, i’m just finishing these flowers and i’ll be on my merry way.” minhee responded back, already impatient. “why do you even want me home so early? you won’t even be back until later, dumbass.” 

  


“i am home, dipshit, i went home after lunch, and i miss you, so get back here already.” yunseong scolded through the phone. minhee could only sigh. he wanted to close on time, but a young boy barged through the doors right as he was flipping the sign.

  


“can i still get flowers?” the boy breathed out. he was no younger than 16, still waiting for puberty to hit. along that, he really looked desperate. minhee sighed. he was a sucker for kids.

  


“i was just about to close up shop” he started, the boy already looking dejected. “but i can spare some of my time, we’ll just make it quick, yeah?”

  


the boy nodded quickly, happy that he could get something. “is it for a girl?” minhee tried to start, he figured he could small talk the boy while he was there, to make things a little more worthwhile, at least.

  


the boy looked away, shaking his head shyly. “oh? is it for a boy then?” the boy’s cheeks got flusher, burning a bright red. he looked away, muttering a soft “he’s a friend” minhee laughed softly. ah, young love.

  


“do you have any requests, or do you just want to trust me with your bouquet?”

  


“i-i never specified a bouquet though,”

  


“ah, but that was your order anyways, am i right?” 

  


the boy didn’t respond. minhee figured he was getting uncomfortable. in the first place, minhee just figured out his sexuality and he probably didn’t intend to come out to the local florist. stupid minhee.

  


“if it makes you feel more comfortable, i’m really gay myself, so i’m not judging you.”

  


minhee really tried to lighten the mood, and this time, he thinks it worked.

  


the boy’s eyes lit up, as if minhee had just said something profound. “are you really?” the boy queried, curious as to how minhee would respond. 

  


“of course, i am. i’m shocked you didn’t notice. have you ever wondered why the local florist was a guy, instead of the usual female?”

  


it wasn’t supposed to imply that flowers were exclusively feminine, but he had gotten too many comments about his sexuality with a follow-up on his job. it just got tiring. he liked flowers, and that in no way correlates how he liked boys. maybe that’s why he smiled too brightly when he heard the boy’s reply.

  


“i just thought you liked flowers.” 

  


“okay, i also love flowers, but can you blame me? next to flowers, boys are nothing. i’d choose flowers any day.”

  


minhee laughed to himself. “i’ve had a boyfriend before too, if you’re wondering. the world isn’t as black and white as it seems.” minhee paused for a moment before continuing. “sometimes, the rainbows are stuck within, but it will always flourish.”

  


“that’s kind of beautiful, sir.” 

  


“that’s because it is. just like flowers.” minhee grabbed a stem and booped the kid’s nose with it.

  


“now, do you trust me to make your bouquet, or do you have requests?”

  


“do as you want, sir, but i want it all-white, maybe a little bit of green, but the flowers are white.” the boy requested.

  


minhee grinned at the boy’s request. it was just as minhee was imagining. the boy’s mind was impeccable, fit for a florist.

  


as ordered, minhee made a bee-line to the carnations, with the boy trailing behind him. white was good. it signified innocence, purity, youth. just like this boy. to minhee, it was a blank canvas, something that was merely beginning, something that would soon blossom into a kaleidoscope of color, exactly like the boy. how he managed to think the same as minhee was beyond him, but he didn’t complain.

  


he kept the bouquet simple, putting the carnations in a circular position and placing white baby breaths to fill in the gaps. he placed some greenery to the white bunch, making the blooms feel livelier. 

  


finally, he wrapped the flowers around white and pale pink paper, with a small ribbon to secure the whole thing together. he beamed as he handed the bouquet to the boy, noticing the bright smile that followed. “thank you so much! seongmin will love it!” the boy dug to his pocket and paid, quickly rushing to the door when the bills left his hand.

  


the owner smiled fondly, he was supposed to leave it free of charge, but that’s too late now. he looks at the time, 19:30. he can squeeze one more bouquet, right? 

  


the talk with the young man had inspired him for another bouquet, and thought he could make one for his best friend at home. he did say he missed him, so why not a gift to add the teasing?

  


yunseong can wait for him a little longer. he thinks as he walks to the rose boxes, steering clear from the pinks and reds, instead reaching for the bright yellow roses. he picked the ones in full bloom, symbolic of their ever-blooming friendship. 

  


he stood there for a while, debating whether he should put more variety in the flowers. maybe lilacs? purple always meshed well with yellow. or maybe whites? what fillers should i include?

  


but as minhee looked at the bunch in his hand, he noticed the beauty in the simplicity of the bouquet. he decided he would leave the flowers as it is, only adding greenery to make up for the empty space.

  


if he learned something from that boy, it was that sometimes, it’s the simple things that make life easier to live in.

  


content with his choices, he grabbed his scissors and wrapped paper around the flowers, tying the ribbon as tight as he could. 

  


he closed the lights, shut the doors and made his way to the train station, eager to surprise his best friend to some flowers on a nice afternoon. he thought of making coffee as soon as he returns, unknowing to the scene he would come home to.

  


now, the house wasn’t bad, per se, but seeing your knocked out best friend in the couch with a bunch of pillows cuddled up with him wasn’t something minhee sees every day.

  


at sight of him, minhee immediately dropped his things to the nearby chair and stuck his hand on yunseong’s forehead. the older was incredulously hot, and minhee had to double-check if yunseong was really okay.

  


“hyung, why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?” minhee scolded his hyung. he was so hard-headed, always stubborn and putting himself in trouble. now, he had a fever (and a cold, minhee just noticed yunseong’s sneezing) and didn’t even bother telling his roommate.

  


“i’m fine, mini, don’t worry about me.” minhee scoffed as he stuck a thermometer in yunseong’s mouth.

  


“sure, i shouldn’t worry about you when you can barely stand up. that’s a great idea, yunseong.” yunseong didn’t miss the younger’s sarcastic tone, only smiling and muttering a quiet apology. 

  


minhee got up to prepare a cold cloth to cool yunseong up when the thermometer let out a familiar beep. as he was about to turn around and get it, the sick boy had already gone and took it out of his mouth, frowning as he sees the number displayed. 

  


39.4 degrees. minhee was no medical professional, but he knew that was troubling. when he was little, his mom would panic as soon as the thermometer flashed anything above 37.5, let alone 39. 

  


“jesus christ, hyung! are you not taking care of yourself?” minhee sighed exasperatedly. he got back up to his feet, grabbing the wet cloth he had prepared earlier and started to take off yunseong’s top. 

  


to say yunseong was shocked was laughable. the boy froze at minhee’s touch, eyes wide at the younger and visibly cold. “what? come on, hyung. do you want to get better or not?” he said as he took off the shirt from yunseong’s body.

  


“you could’ve given me a warning, you know. for all i know, you’re just doing this to see my abs.” yunseong shot back, teasing. 

  


minhee only rolled his eyes. “what abs? all i can see is your cute tummy, hyung.” he poked fun at yunseong, all while repeatedly poking said stomach. the touch made yunseong laugh, something that didn’t go unnoticed.

  


minhee started tickling him, playful, but still careful as to not him fall off the narrow sofa. yunseong only exploded to fits of laughter with the occasional ‘yah stop it!’ and ‘kang minhee stop!’, both of which were just responded to with even more tickling. 

  


the house was full of laughter, full of life, full of love. even when the giggles died down, it was only met with a comfortable silence that they stayed between the two, both donning gentle smiles.

  


“hyung...” minhee started. “don’t get sick anymore please?” he almost begged, genuinely concerned for his hyung. “i care about your health, please take care of yourself.” 

  


yunseong could only sigh at his dongsaeng’s requests. “if only it were that easy, mini, i would. but i need a job.” 

  


“you don’t even need to pay rent. i told you, just stay with me.” minhee groaned, he was just so stubborn, he knew minhee didn’t mind at all.

  


“i insist, minhee, it’s the most i can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

  


“fine, i’ll let you pay rent. on one condition.”

  


yunseong’s eyebrows raised at the proposition. “what condition?”

  


“you will stop finding a job- “

  


“ _minhee_.”

  


he glared at yunseong at the sight of being interrupted. yunseong, being the hard-headed shit, he was, glared back.

  


“you will pay rent, but you’re no longer finding a job because i have one for you.”

  


“what firm?” yunseong asked, eyebrow raising at the statement.

  


“not a firm.” minhee grinned at his thought. “work at the shop.”

  


“ _bet_.”

**summer**.

  


for a chemical engineer, yunseong was damn good with flowers. and no, minhee didn’t mean yunseong looked good with flowers (although that wasn’t wrong either). no, yunseong was actually a good florist. 

  


he knew which colors fit each other. he knew how to find the right balance within the blooms, careful not to overshadow flowers. he knew how to let each flower shine, and that alone was admirable, because minhee couldn’t say if he was the same.

  


it was surprising, actually. seeing yunseong in his element, scrunched eyebrows and all. 

  


of course, it wasn’t anything minhee hadn’t seen before. he cherished every moment he had with yunseong before the keumdong incident even began. 

  


he cherished every moment, even the ones inside their dorm room where minhee had nothing to do and yunseong had no time to lose. where minhee would just lay on his bed, scrolling about on his phone until he lifts his head up and sees his hyung, frustrated.

  


usually, minhee would keep quiet, but at the time, he looked like he was about to give up. so, with his most genuine tone, the sophomore yelled a “hyungie! fighting!” to his senior roommate.

  


he cherished every moment, especially because after that ‘fighting!’ yunseong didn’t try to hide his smile. he didn’t say anything, but he smiled despite the amount of stress he was under because of his studies. and that smile was enough for minhee. 

  


it was summer now. yunseong was working for the shop for about 3 months and was staying at seoul for 6. now that he thought about it, he’d never realized how time had passed since yunseong rode that afternoon train to seoul. had it really been half a year already since yunseong had gone home? 

  


it was so fast, minhee didn’t realize it until now. minhee looked up to the ex-engineer, eyes forming little crescents as his cheeks rose. yunseong was tending to some gardenias. ah, he loved gardenias. they meant sweet love, and he had to agree. if those petals meant anything, it was love in its’ purest form. 

  


the sun was shining brightly as well, highlighting yunseong and the flowers’ best features (which was to say the sun completely enveloped yunseong, but he would never admit that). the summer sun was scorching, even more than usual, but he didn’t mind it. 

  


if he was getting this kind of view because of summer, then he might as well be phineas and ferb because he just doesn’t want summer to end.

  


through the three months he had been working here, yunseong had learned to wake up at 6 am, cook breakfast, wake minhee up, have breakfast, clean up, and leave home before 7:30, just in time for the shop’s 8 am opening. it took time to get used to their new schedule, but they were both comfortable.

  


having yunseong around the shop was a delight, for the most part. he liked making the bouquets, and he loved tending the buds and blooms. the only thing he wouldn’t do is interacting with the customers. 

  


yunseong straight up refused when minhee asked him to entertain a couple entering the shop last june. he went through lengths as hiding in the back every time the door chime rings. the only times he would talk to customers was when minhee was busy with a client, and that rarely happens.

  


as if the universe had heeded minhee’s thoughts, the two gardeners heard the door chime, opening once and closing. he got up to answer the door when another chime had been heard, the door opening and closing once again. he smirked, knowing that yunseong had to get up and join him because of the two customers. the latter groaned loudly (and very unpleasantly, he may add), removed his gloves and glared at the beaming boy in front of the doorway.

  


“i’m sorry.” minhee said insincerely, grinning through his words. yunseong only rolled his eyes in return, sighing, and turning the doorknob himself, making way for minhee once he walked through.

  


true to the bell chimes, there were two clients inside the main shop, a couple who were busy checking the flowers, and a boy, the very same boy that minhee attended to a few months ago. the memory sent warmth through minhee, and immediately called dibs on talking to the boy instead of the couple.

  


“no.” yunseong spoke to the air. he was still in the doorway when minhee whipped his head back to him. “what?” 

  


“i’m going to the boy; you talk to the couple.” yunseong deadpanned. before minhee could even protest, the former had already been walking in the boy’s direction and greeting him with a warm smile. they had clicked immediately, already talking animatedly beside each other. 

  


the interaction alone brought minhee to laugh amusedly, surprised that they got along so well. shaking his head, he turned his attention to the couple, still beaming with joy as he approached them.

  


the couple’s orders were simple. apparently, they had a third partner who celebrated their birthday that day and they wanted a cute bouquet. it was sweet, though minhee couldn’t think of himself in a polyamorous relationship like the clients had, he respected it and admired the love they share.

  


they had pleasant conversation, the couple talking about their significant other so lovingly that it gave minhee just enough inspiration to whip up a bright bouquet. next thing minhee knew, he was behind the counter, wrapping the flowers up in yellow paper and tying it with a silk ribbon.

  


he smiled at the couple one last time while handing them the flowers. “thank you for buying here. i’m sure they’ll love the flowers.” “thank you, we’re coming back here for sure.” the couple said as they turned around, flowers in hand, glowing as bright as the sun outside.

  


only then did minhee realize that the boy from before was still there and animatedly talking to yunseong. they were fixing up a bouquet together, a colorful one, a stark difference to the previous all-white he requested before. there was a collage of tulips of different colors, cut to similar lengths, forming a beautiful round display around the top. 

  


they were currently looking at filler leaves, something to frame the tulips prettily, but not too big that it overpowers the blooms. yunseong was smiling, completely relaxed and comfortable with the boy’s presence. soon enough, the flowers yunseong were holding looked complete. he smiled at them, then at the boy told him to come with to the counter.

  


minhee only realized the pair walking towards him when a bunch of flowers were shoved into his face. his eyes were met with purple and pink tulips, a few peonies and too many leaves. he took the flowers, fingers brushing yunseong’s.

  


their eyes met, a silent agreement that they were not to talk about the blushes on each other’s cheeks. at least, not when there were customers. the boy stared at the two of them with stars in his eyes. well, i guess he saw.

  


“yunseong-hyung, is he the one you were talking about?” he curiously asked the two florists. 

  


minhee eyed the florist, a questioning look flashing on his face. yunseong caught minhee’s gaze but focused his attention at the child in front of them. “ah, taeyoung-ah, we should talk again sometime. i'll take the bouquet now.” yunseong muttered under his breath, eyes darting away from the previous conversation.

  


with the brunette walking towards the counter, minhee took this chance to catch up with the young boy beside him. and maybe he wanted to find out what the boy meant with his statement. but before he could even open his mouth to ask, taeyoung beat him to it and said, “you know, minhee-ssi, he was talking about someone while we were picking out the flowers. i don’t know why he looked flustered now though, he looked really happy a while ago…”

  


minhee smiled at the boy, heart melting at the sight in front of him. “i'm sure yunseong has his reasons, taeyoung.” minhee spoke gently, hoping it would cease taeyoung's distress. it didn’t seem to work, but yunseong was approaching them again, so taeyoung's doubts lessen.

  


“ah, taeyoung-ah, here’s your flowers. thank you for coming, yeah? come again soon, i expect more stories about seongmin.” yunseong quickly ushered the boy out of the store, not letting him talk until they reach the glass door and waving him goodbye.

  


taeyoung only stood outside waving back to his hyung, confusion etched on his face, but walking away nonetheless. the two florists watched as the boy entertained himself with the flowers in his hand and soon enough disappeared into the distance. for a while, the shop fell into silence and they only stared at the glass pane, viewing the hustle and bustle of downtown seoul and the unsatisfied look of the passersby.

  


the silence though, was broken by a particularly defensive “we are not going to talk about that.” from yunseong. the remark was followed by a boisterous laugh and more groans from the older. “i said we won’t talk about it!” he tried to huff again, but to no avail, that only sent minhee to more fits of laughter.

  


“yah, yunseong hyung, i think you’re hiding something from me, yeah?” 

  


“i am not!”

  


“ah? should i call youngtae back here again? maybe he can tell me- “minhee teased even further, expressively amused by his hyung’s agitation. “shut up, minhee.” 

  


yunseong says as he walked his way behind the counter. his hands were on his cheeks, probably to hide the red tint that was covering his face, though his hands did not help at all. 

  


minhee’s laughs died down when his hyung appeared to be annoyed rather than embarrassed. he followed yunseong to the counter, palm at the back of his head, sorry for poking fun at him. “yunseong hyung, i’m sorry. we don’t need to talk about that if you don’t want to. it’s fine. i was being childish again, i’m sorry if i didn’t consider your- “

  


minhee rattled on before stopping when the brunette looked up at him. “its fine, minhee. it’s not that deep.”

  


“if it’s not that deep hyung, why are you so bothered by it?” minhee’s eyebrow quirked in question. the shop owner was curious, because yunseong seemed so distressed, yet he doesn’t tell minhee anything about it. which shouldn’t be happening because yunseong can always tell minhee anything.

  


“i was just thinking.” “about?” minhee leaned forward, expecting a follow-up to that statement. what he wasn’t expecting was yunseong’s response to his question, though.

  


“about you.”

  


their eyes locked as yunseong uttered the words from under his breath, loud enough that they could both hear it, but soft enough to make them feel as though they were the _only_ ones that did. they held their gaze before minhee dropped his eyes to the floor.

  


to say that minhee was shocked was an understatement. he was stunned, floored, heck, even those words couldn’t justify how utterly taken aback minhee was. for a second, he thought he had been imagining it, but by the way yunseong is looking at him expectantly, it gave him the assurance that he heard right.

  


he couldn’t comprehend yunseong’s words. he was thinking of him? for why? he just couldn’t grasp the thought of dwelling in the older’s mind so casually. but maybe he’s thinking about this too deeply. yunseong did say it’s not that deep. 

  


sucking in a breath of confidence, minhee quipped, albeit weakly, “what are you thinking about me for? do i bother you that much?”

  


“if you continue acting that cute, then yes, you are bothering me.”

  


cute? did he hear that right? no. this is the second time his brain was playing tricks with him.

  


“but i’m always this cute though?”

  


“exactly.”

  


and for the third time in that conversation, minhee was left dumbfounded by his hyung’s antics. now, what the hell did ‘exactly’ mean?

  


“you did say you’re always this cute. that just means you’re always in my mind then.” yunseong reached from behind the counter to hook his finger underneath minhee’s chin.

  


“see? so damn cute.” yunseong cooed. from where the hell he got the sudden confidence boost from when he had been cowering a while ago, minhee didn’t know. but what he did know was that his heart had been thumping wildly ever since yunseong lifted his face and locked their eyes together.

  


and the more frustrating thing was, he didn’t know why. he didn’t know why he feels like his heart is going to fall off his chest because of how hard it has been beating. he doesn’t know why he can’t hold on to yunseong’s gaze when he makes eye contact. he doesn’t know why he leans into yunseong’s touch, only wanting more of his warmth. he doesn’t know why he feels his chest swell every time yunseong interact with his customers. he doesn’t know why yunseong suddenly has that effect on him, why this has only been happening for the last two months. he doesn’t know why this had only been happening now, and it frustrates him more that he can’t do anything about it.

  


but now, yunseong did do something about it, and his heart is about to get fucked from pounding too hard and too loud.

  


deciding there were no turning backs now, minhee played along to yunseong’s games one last time. “if you think of me that much, hyung, just say you like me and go!”

  


apparently, minhee had not yet learned that playing to the engineer’s antics would only lead to him losing, because he definitely did not anticipate the “i do like you, kang minhee.” flowing out of his lips.

  


“stop playing, hwang yunseong.”

  


“but i’m not playing, kang minhee. i like you.”

  


nope, that was it. minhee’s heart had officially combusted and his mind had gone haywire. the stupid smirk on yunseong's lips wasn't helping his case either. 

  


he really wanted to believe him. he wanted to believe yunseong's words and tell him that he feels the same. he so wanted to believe that yunseong wasn't teasing. that they weren't playing right now.

  


but minhee doesn't have the heart to do that to himself. no, he won't allow it. he will not let himself be swayed by yunseong's sweet talk and set himself up for heartbreak.

  


"lying isn't good for the soul, yunseong."

  


"how many times am i going to tell you that i do like you? that i'm not lying to you right now? i don't play with emotions minhee, especially not yours."

  


no. no. no. no. absolutely not. no! yunseong did not like him! he didn't! jesus! he just broke up with keumdong last winter! he can't possibly like minhee! that's lunacy!

  


but yunseong's actions prove to be more convincing than his words. with gentle hands, he raises his elbows from the counter and uses his hands to cup minhee's cheeks. said cheeks are currently burning from the intimate touch, but that wasn't important, because the once playful gap between the two florists was now closed.

  


minhee's eyes widen in surprise, absolutely shocked at his hyung's actions. he stood still, unmoving and stiff. he didn't even have half the braincell to reciprocate yunseong's kiss. everything happened so fast, by the time his brain registered what the kiss meant, yunseong was already pulling away. 

  


"i see."

  


_what? what the hell does that mean?_

  


the older's eyes were cast downward, almost ashamed. he was fidgeting and looked so small due to his embarrassment. 

  


" i was too forward. i'm sorry. i didn't even think about your feelings. i'm sorry minhee."

  


how could he have possibly assumed that when he hasn't even said anything yet?

  


_oh_.

  


that's exactly why he assumed it.

  


ah, stupid kang minhee!

  


"hyung that's not what it m–"

  


"no. i get it minhee. you don't need to say anything, i unders–" yunseong was starting to turn his back to minhee, but he grabbed his arm and turned him back before that happened. 

  


"no! no! you don't understand!" 

  


"i do, minhee! and i'm sorry for feeling like this, but i don't regret it." if he had more time, he would have said something else, but it was the spur of the moment, and all minhee could come up was:

  


"don't be sorry."

  


"but i should be, i'm ruining our friendship."

  


and because it was a spur of the moment, minhee didn't think twice when he did what he did. but hey, he doesn't regret it either. 

  


it was yunseong's turn to look shocked when minhee took the back of his head and pulled it close, diminishing any space that was there before. but unlike minhee, yunseong easily recovered and took the lead. he angled his head, letting their faces fit together perfectly and minhee kiss him more freely. 

  


and for a while, only they were there, two florists and a counter, professing their love through a series of passionate kisses. for a while, only they mattered. for a while, they were no longer two separate people, but one in love. 

  


yunseong was the first to break the kiss, with minhee following the boy's lips. when minhee realized that yunseong pulled away, his swollen lips turned to a cute pout, a pout so cute yunseong had to control himself not to kiss the boy again.

  


“there’s a customer waiting outside, minhee.”

  


“they can wait.”

  


yunseong giggled softy at the boy. “no, they can’t. come on now, money’s waiting.” he whispered, tugging at the boy to the front door.

  


“fine, but you’re attending to them.” minhee rolled his eyes at the older, pointing to him. “of course, baby.”

  


_baby?_ god, why must hwang yunseong be this way?

  


he opened the door to welcome the customers with a smile a bright as the sun above them, and minhee excused himself once they got introduced. he heard something along the lines of a flower arrangement for an autumn wedding, and sure, that was a big event, but minhee was sure yunseong could handle it. 

  


for now, minhee had thoughts to set straight and flowers to trim.

  


as soon as he reached the back door, he shut it behind him and breathed a quiet ‘ _what the fuck just happened’_

  


_no, no, no._

  


_that can’t be real._

  


_no. definitely not._

  


_hwang yunseong did not just kiss him from the counter._

  


_and he absolutely did not kiss him back!_

  


_no, yunseong was outside, attending a lovely couple expecting a wedding, and he did not just call minhee baby._

  


this was all a trick of his mind, a daydream, one where yunseong reciprocated minhee’s feelings and- _what? reciprocated?_

  


reciprocation meant he also had feelings for the older and he did not! at least, he doesn’t want to think that he does.

  


because come to think of it, isn’t it too early to say that? isn’t it too sudden to actually know that he’s been harboring feelings for his hyung? or-

  


or maybe, he’s had feelings for his hyung all along. maybe he’d been repressing those feelings deep down because yunseong had donghyun, and he was happy. maybe he’s experiencing these feelings only now, because it’s the longest time he’s been with yunseong since college.

  


maybe he’s only realizing now, because now was the right time. not back in suncheon, not in college, but now. now that they’re both adults and they’re living their lives with their hands on prickly flowers. it needed time to bloom.

  


and now that it’s in its full blossom, yunseong had done something about it.

  


oh god, he did like yunseong. that’s why he acted that way around yunseong. that’s why he kissed him back. that’s why--

  


that’s why he brought him flowers so frequently.

  


flowers, of course.

  


because even though minhee’s mind was racing, his hands knew how to handle his flowers, and before he knew it, he had a handful of assorted flowers. he had a handful of flowers that reminded him of a particular childhood best friend.

  


white, yellow and orange lillies, three stems of dwarf sunflowers, red chrysanthemums and a plethora of roses later, minhee has his bouquet ready and he is more than scared. 

  


he knows yunseong wouldn’t play with his feelings like that, more so now that he had already outwardly expressed it, but he still can’t shake the feeling in his stomach that's begging him to stop.

  


but no. he's not going to let this moment pass by again. he's not going to play a fool to the games life has been playing. he's not going to dance around yunseong because of his fear. 

  


this is their time, and you bet he's going to do something about it. so with one last inhale, he grabs the doorknob, twists, and prays to any deity out there that he doesn't majorly fuck up.

  


minhee was expecting a lot of things, yunseong being on the opposite side of the door was definitely not one of them. he doesn’t expect the meeting to be over, in fact, he expected it to last longer seeing that it was one of their more wealthier clients and they would surely want intricacies in their arrangements.

  


but apparently, that wasn’t the case.

  


yunseong eyed the bouquet around minhee’s grasp, smiled and set it on the counter before turning his attention back to him. “that has to wait, i kinda need you out there.” yunseong smiles sheepishly, and minhee can’t ignore the swelling feeling in his chest as his hyung grabs his hand and pulls him to their clientele.

  


the autumn wedding was going to be big, to say the least. the first exchanges with this specific customer had been extravagant already, but this occasion had to be minhee’s best. the brides wanted to transform this great hall into a flora wonderland, and it was a pretty tall order. no wonder yunseong asked for his help.

  


nonetheless, they settled all arrangements and accounts, shaking hands before leaving, and finally sending them off with a single stemmed sunflower, perfect for the summer.

  


when the door chime signals their departure, the two florists looked at each other. it was silent, but it wasn’t awkward. the tension and confusion still lingered above their heads, and it seemed like neither of them had the courage to bring it up.

  


in the end, yunseong broke eye contact to look at the unwrapped bouquet sitting idly atop their counter. he starts off with a smile, “great bouquet, who’s it for?”

  


minhee glares at the older, “you know who it’s for, stop playing.”

  


they walk to the counter side by side, yunseong reaching for the bunch to play with the flowers. “lillies, chrysanthemums, sunflowers, and _roses_! you’re really in love with me, aren’t you?”

  


minhee’s eyes widen at the remark, hands instinctly hitting the other’s back. “i’m taking it back!” he retorts as he grabs at the flowers, yunseong giggling as he tries to hide the bouquet from minhee’s grasp.

  


“i’m kidding! i’m kidding!” yunseong laughs heartily now, hands clutching the colorful nosegay to his chest. 

  


minhee drops his pseudo-angry look and chuckles as he pulls a seat in front of the counter.

  


“should we talk about it?”

  


“what’s to talk about? i know what you know and you know what i do. at least, i hope you do. am i right?”

  


“what do you know?”

  


“i know that i like you, kang minhee.”

  


_there it is again._ the pounding of his heart as the close proximity becomes clear to him and the words that left yunseong’s mouth ring through the room. he has heard the phrase for the third time today, and until now, he still finds in unbelievable.

  


“when did you know?”

  


“i have a feeling i always have, mini.”

  


minhee had to laugh. _always?_ that’s ridiculous. not ridiculous as in yunseong couldn’t have been always in love with him, but ridiculous as in-

  


“i’ve always liked you too, hyung.” minhee looks up to his hyung who stopped playing with his flowers. 

  


“but i guess i only realized last winter.” minhee adds. 

  


“when i came home?” yunseong asks quizzically. minhee shakes his head, denying the guess. “no, i think it was when you cooked me breakfast on the first day it snowed.” he grins at the memory, it feels so long ago, but he could still recall every moment of that cloudy morning.

  


yunseong smiles back at him, probably reminiscing the same memory. “i think i realized when i called you. you know, when i was crying on the phone? i thought, wow, minhee makes me feel really safe. i want to be there with him right now. i want him to be with me and never leave my side ever again. and then i realized, you were always there, even when you were far away.”

  


he looks at yunseong, urging him to continue, because honestly, minhee was still stomaching the fact that he’d realized before himself. 

  


“and,"

  


“and i hope it’s not too late to give us a try.”

  


minhee wanted to laugh. in hindsight, they had all the time in the world. they were both in their early-mid twenties and they had a business together, life was thriving and flourishing like the petunias in minhee's back garden. but when you think about it, they’ve been in each other’s life ever since, and it took them more than twenty years to get their shit together.

  


everything just couldn’t go their way from the start, couldn’t it, huh?

  


but what matters is now. what matters is they got their shit together. the timing is finally right and the love they share is in full bloom.

  


it took them their whole life to reach this point, and he was pretty sure he wanted to spend the rest of it with his best friend and first love.

**autumn**.

when minhee’s shop gets event arrangements, he usually gets a couple of his friends to help him decorate, and most of the time, his plan is foolproof. (most of the time, because he’ll never forgive wonjin and hyeongjun for ditching him on this one anniversary) but weddings like choi jisu’s warrant a team entirely dedicated to the wedding.

  


but the thing is, minhee doesn’t have money to pay a team of helpers. so yunseong, being the social butterfly that he is, called up all his friends based in seoul and somehow managed to build a functional team of florists. 

  


the plan was simple. the ceremony takes place in a church, with the venue succeeding in an ornate hall 1 and a half kilometers from the church. yunseong was to go to the church at early dusk, along with a couple of his friends to set up the flowers inside the church. minhee, along with some of his friends, would stay in the shop to put together the rest of the decorations for the venue.

  


it was currently 6 am, yunseong has already reached the church with the truckload of flowers, and minhee is too stressed coordinating with the organizer.

  


“no, jisu specifically told me to put two archs on the aisle!”

  


“sir, i’m sorry but miss jisu told me recently to change it to three. im very sorry.”

  


“sorry isn’t going to do me any good! how can you just ask me to whip up a damn flower arch out of nowhere? my team spent half a day making those arches. how can i possibly give you an additional in just a couple of hours?”

  


to say minhee was stressed was laughable. he was agitated, out of his mind and tense. this is unbelievable! a full flower arch in two hours? that was fucking impossible!

  


and yet, as minhee angrily ends the call with the organizer, he signals to minseo and dongyun, signalling them to come closer for help. the flower arch was going to be the same as those he had already finished, so it’s going to be easier as minhee had already memorized the setup. he just needed help with the lifting and carrying.

  


_white roses, pastel pink gardenias, white hydrangeas and where the fuck are the wisterias?_ he quickly maneuvered through the stock room, picking up the spare flowers and planning the final arch while doing so. 

  


_the flowers aren’t enough._ the bag of flowers in his hand can’t fill the arc completely, even if he goes berserk on the greenery. he scans the room, looking for other flowers that may complement the combination he already has. his eyes land on the pink english roses, right next to the white and red daisies.

  


perfect. he sprinted through the room, grabbing hold of just enough english roses and even picking up a couple sprigs of extra baby’s breath to ensure the fullness of the arch.

  


minhee was convinced engineers took some sort of flower course, because minseo and dongyun were great help to the completion of the arch. they knew where to put the flowers and somehow didn’t let the greenery take up all the space (with minhee’s help, of course). 

  


next thing they knew, they were sending off the last arch to the truck on the way to the wedding. it was 8 am, with only 2 hours left to the wedding and 3 hours till the reception.

  


the florist was just taking a breath of relief when a familiar ringtone disturbed it. his mood only dampened more once he saw the caller id.

  


“yes, miss shin?” he spoke to the phone lazily, uncaring of the organizer’s impending shouting.

  


“is the arch ready, mister kang?” 

  


“of course it is. the last truck has already left, my team will place it in the church as soon as it gets there.”

  


“good. i have one last problem.” minhee sighs, _when does it end?_

  


“of course you have. what seems to be the problem, and how would it concern me?”

  


“one of the flower girls is allergic to the red asters on her flower crown. could you make another without the aster?”

  


_without the aster?_ he supposes he has some coreopsis lying around somewhere, though he’s not sure he has red ones. mums, maybe? but that would be too wide. he stayed quiet for a while, letting the background noise from shin yuna’s phone crowd his thoughts.

  


he scanned the room for more options, _coneflowers, pot marigolds,_ but nothing would be enough to alternate for asters. he thought he could only reject yuna’s request when his eyes land on a very well-hidden bag, one containing red daisies. _perfect._

  


“miss shin? i can provide the flower crown, but it may take me a while. the last truck just left, so i might bring this along with the venue props, would that be okay?”

  


“that would be great. just please bring it before the ceremony, yes?”

  


“of course. then, i’ll get going.” minhee says as he puts the phone on his back pocket, sighing as he does so. he grabbed the bag of red daises, not forgetting to grab the white ones across it as well.

  


he was just about to exit the room when his phone started buzzing again. _what does she want now?_

  


he angrily snatched the phone from his pocket as soon as he reached counter space. "what now?"he grumbled through the phone.

  


"minhee, darling, are you alright?" 

  


oh. 

  


minhee took the pressed phone from his ear and looked at the caller id. ' _yunseong hyungie'_ with three emojis right next to it.

  


"hyungie. i didn't realize it was you."

  


"that's fine, minhee, are you feeling okay? you sound stressed."

  


minhee adjusted the phone to his shoulder and angled his head so that he can continue working while talking to his boyfriend. "i kinda am. how can you tell?"

  


"aside from your opening sentence? i can hear you moving about the shop, baby."

  


the nickname didn't go unnoticed, but after 5 months, it seemed to flow easily from yunseong's lips and minhee can't help but smile at that. 

  


5 months ago, in early june, he and yunseong exchanged their proclamations of love for each other in front of flowering bouquets, here, at the very same flower shop. since then, his hyung took it upon himself to shower minhee with terms of endearment. (“don’t call me babe! it sounds so weird!” “aigoo, i’m not something you can eat, hyung. don’t call me sugar or honey!” “ah but you are something i eat though?” “hyung!”)

  


they settled with baby, though yunseong usually uses it more than minhee. (“why don’t you ever call me baby?” “hyung, you are so annoying”) 

  


minhee prefers to just call him hyung though. (“i call you my hyung, though.” “but that’s not that special.” “it’s special because i call you mine”)

  


suffice to say, after that encounter, yunseong never bothered to ask for endearment from minhee again. being called his was enough.

  


“baby? you’re quiet.”

  


yunseong’s words brought back minhee to reality, reality of the stress he was facing, and reality of yunseong calling him in the middle of it all. 

  


“why did you call, hyung?”

  


“i had a feeling my baby was feeling stressed so i had to check in to make sure i was wrong. i’m not right, am i?”

  


“you kinda are, hyung.”

  


“ah, that’s a shame.” yunseong heaves a sigh after his statement.

  


“can i see you?”

  


minhee laughs quietly, “you’ll see me later hyung, be patient.”

  


“ah, you know what i mean.” minhee laughs once more, taking delight in teasing his hyung. suddenly, the screen that displayed his boyfriends caller id was replaced with an invitation to facetime. 

  


minhee chuckled softly, amused at his hyung’s antics while pressing the ‘accept’ button.

  


the screen changed once again, the display shifting from the facetime invitation to his boyfriend’s (blurred) smiling face. as if on cue, minhee’s lips tugged at the sight in front on him. he waves to the screen, notifying that he was connected. immediately, the light in yunseong’s eyes change, and minhee opts to place the phone by a nearby shelf, the angle framing the flowers minhee was holding.

  


“ooh, are those daisies i see?”

  


“they are, they’re your favorites right?” 

  


yunseong made a noise of approval, confirming that daisies were still his favorite flower even after 15 years.

  


“why do you like daisies so much anyways?”

  


“they represent innocence, you know? they represent youth and i don’t know, every time i look at them i’m reminded of you.”

  


“of me?”

  


“of our childhood together, of those times when we were playing in the field without care. i think of you when i see them. so i thought it was just right that my favorite flowers remind me of my favorite person.”

  


minhee looked up at his boyfriend who was looking expectantly through the screen. he was smiling, probably holding himself back from laughing after the game he just played. 

  


“don’t say that while i’m working! i’ll get distracted!” minhee’s cheeks grew as red as the daisies he was holding, head hanging low as he tries to hide the obvious blush from the culprit.

  


“so i distract you, huh?”

  


“you know what you’re doing, hyung. and i don’t appreciate it!”

  


“why are you even making flower crowns right now? didn’t you finish those yesterday?” yunseong inquires, well aware of the already finished crowns from the previous day.

  


“one of the girls had allergies to aster, yuna called me a while back asking for a replacement.” minhee explained while lacing the flowers together.

  


“won’t it stand out though? since her crown is different?”

  


“she’s lia’s favorite niece anyway, i think she wouldn’t mind her standing out from the crowd.”

  


the words fall on their ears as minhee finishes the last flower of the arrangement. he holds it up for yunseong to see, and his boyfriend’s reaction pleases him. he puts it on top of his head, checking the stability of the accessory. 

  


“you look cute in that, baby.”

  


“bet you’ll look even cuter.” he teases back, idea forming at the back of his head. 

  


“hyung, do you want a flower crown too?”

  


“you know the answer to that already, baby” he says, smirking to the camera. minhee laughs as well, chest swelling as he reaches out to get the last stems for yunseong’s crown.

  


“well, i’ll stop the call now, i want the crown to be a surprise.”

  


“no, don’t go baby!!” he pouts cutely, extending every syllable as to coax minhee from ending the call. 

  


“i’ll be with you before you know it, baby.” he smiles, making sure he slips the pet name to make yunseong flustered. _it works_. 

  


“bye baby!!” he shouts to the screen, hitting the red end call button, not minding the protests from yunseong. the screen reverts back to his phone wallpaper, a selca taken after a wedding catering last month. the couple requested hanging flowers from the ceiling, and minhee, as always, delivered. 

  


it was one of his favorite arrangements, and it was too pretty not to take pictures with. so after the reception, yunseong pulled minhee to the center of the venue, and took selcas until all the people had gone. it’s a memory that minhee treasures to this day, and minhee is glad they took just the right souvenirs.

  


he starts making the crown a few minutes later, white daisies to complement the red. it was simple, really. yunseong liked simple anyway. whenever he would design a bouquet, it always ends up minimalistic and simplistic, which fits minhee’s (and the customer’s) taste a lot. he became so good at making bouquets that minhee once joked that he should just take over the shop, that he would just man the gardens instead.

  


of course, some customers prefer loud and explosive arrangements, and minhee usually handles those orders. any other time though, the sets are beautifully simplistic, courtesy of the handsome engineer florist.

  


more flowers get tucked in the crown, and soon enough he has a warm-toned flower crown, hues of red orange and yellow sprayed throughout the hairpiece, reminiscent of the season around them. he admires them from a distance, moving the crown side to side to see his finished product. _yunseong would look so good in this._

  


he smiles, finally feeling content as he packs the two flower crowns carefully in a tray, cautious as to not damage it on the way there. he places the tray inside his car, exiting after seating it on the passenger seat. he still had work to do, and flowers to arrange. the faster he finishes, the faster he gets to give yunseong his gift. the thought alone puts minhee in a love-sick trance. _he’ll see yunseong soon._

  


time passes by faster. maybe it’s because yuna stopped calling, or maybe it’s because the remaining decorations were only few, but 8 am came by sooner than they thought, and next thing they knew, they were loading the remaining decorations in minhee’s car.

  


when he turns the ignition, he notices the bright weather welcoming them. there was barely any traffic and everything was going right. he smiles to himself. maybe choi jisu’s wedding wasn’t so bad after all.

**flower showers.**

  


the chapel was beautiful. minhee swears he has more words to describe the ornate hall, but he’s too speechless to organize his words. it’s everything he envisioned for the wedding. 

  


the red carpet in the aisle, blooming flower stands on the entrance of each pew, flower arches of pink and yellow gracing the brides’ pathway. the chapel was transformed completely, giving off a fresh spring feel, despite it being in the middle of fall. yunseong truly was a gem.

  


he was busy admiring his boyfriend's work when a set of arms wrap around his waist, along a chin digging under his shoulder. he turned slightly sideways to see his boyfriend in his work clothes, dirty and kinda sweaty, but still _really_ handsome.

  


"how'd you like it?" he asks, squeezing minhee tighter as their eyes roam around the hall. he can't get enough how pretty it is, and he can only muster an "i love it" in response.

  


it's a hall he'd want to get married at, if he's being honest. and if his wedding isn't half as pretty as choi jisu's then he's not walking down that aisle. that's a joke though, _hopefully._

  


he'd love to bask in the hall's romantic beauty more, but the reception is waiting and yeji and the entourage should be arriving soon, so they pack up whatever they left and headed on to the reception, where more flowers await them.

  


when they get there, half of the arrangements are already hung up, along with hanging flowers, the same design as one of their earlier weddings but in different colors. the wedding beforehand gave the hanging flowers a garden motif, as if the flowers were growing out of the pillars. choi jisu's wedding though, puts the falling flowers in a much different light.

  


instead of having them look as if they were growing, yeji wanted them to look like they were falling instead. they would make use of a lot of free space, and minhee has to experiment a couple of dozen times before finally setting it up so that it looks realistic. nonetheless, their team made it work, and the ceiling was filled with flower showers (yunseong thought of the name) left and right. it was beautiful.

  


they get to work immediately after checking everything that’s already set up, they still had to do the flowers in each guest table and the arrangement on the floor of the brides’ table. they had no time to lose and no chance to spare. 

  


they move quickly, minhee barking out orders left and right and making sure the reception is perfect right to the last petal. they finish rather quickly, and leave the rest of the decorations to the events staff. some of those decorations were not their turf, and they weren’t going to waste energy by helping staff only to make a bigger mess, no, they’ve been there before and it wasn’t pretty at all.

  


instead, they lounge in the staff corner, warming up to the caterers and seeing some old friends from other events. they share a drink or two before getting the signal that the entourage and guests were arriving. their waiter and caterer friends went on their merry way to do their job, and they were left to their own devices at the back of the venue.

  


now usually, this is the time they would go outside and unwind a little, after all, after a stressful morning, there’s nothing better than to drink the fatigue away. but for once, minhee wanted to stay behind and maybe listen to the sappy wedding rites he usually avoids when doing events like these. so he and yunseong stay there, at the back of the venue, listening in to the ever-growing chatter from inside.

  


every once and a while there would be a spill, sometimes even a shatter, but it wasn’t too bad. jisu’s wedding was actually going smoothly, yuna would be proud. from the back, he can’t really see the venue’s true beauty, he can see the lights in a color to fit the wedding’s mood, a glimpse of the stage and a guest table, but aside from that, if he wanted to know whatever was happening on that reception, he would have to guess with his ears.

  


after the guests have entered, it was time for the program. they had a pretty simple program: a first dance, a quick cake, then the toasts, and after that it was time to eat. and through it all, he held yunseong’s hand, with a soft grip and a dreamy look in his eyes. he wanted this someday. he doesn’t know when, but he knows he wants it one day. 

  


he wants to be surrounded by all the people he loves, all the people he cares about. he wants to be in a pretty venue, decorated by blooming flowers and expensive cutlery, walking through a lush red carpet that was cleaned just for him to walk on. he wants to be surrounded with good food, in a lively atmosphere, where everyone is celebrating him and yunseong’s love, so that they may never part. he wants to have this moment with yunseong, to be bound to him for as long as he can imagine, to be celebrating a love that might have been too late, but all the while worth it, because it’s with yunseong.

  


he wants this too.

  


and maybe that’s the reason why he stayed behind to watch, because he wanted to see what it was like to get married. and now that he saw it, he just wants it even more. he turns his attention to yunseong, who was looking at him the entire time.

  


“hyung?”

  


“yes, baby?”

  


“do you think we’ll ever get married?”

  


“of course, someday.” yunseong whispered in his ear, like it was a secret only they were supposed to know. he rubbed his thumb against his hand, a sign of comfort that they’ll get there, he promises.

  


the program is uneventful after that; minhee and yunseong just sit together at the back room, laughing together and making small quips about the wedding. they just sit there, and that’s enough for them. they have small smiles always on their faces, and it never leaves, because they have each other. the reception finishes faster than they think, and the next thing they knew, it was time for clean up.

  


clean-up wasn’t bad per se, but–ah who was he kidding, clean up is the worst. it’s even worse than setting it up, because at least when they set it up, the environment is clean. when they clean up, the tables are dirty, the morale is down and the floor is sticky for god knows what reason. 

  


he watches as they start to bring the hanging flowers down from the air, a flower dropping every other time because of the uncontrollable swinging of drapery. minhee puts a hand out, palm face up, waiting for a lone flower to drop. for a while, nothing happens, and minhee just stands there watching his upturned hand while yunseong watches from the sides, giggling at his cute boyfriend. 

  


he approaches minhee with his arms wrapping around his waist, and minhee almost immediately leaning into the hug. he kisses minhee’s shoulders softly, before burying his face under it. the swing side to side, just basking in the flowers slowly descending down from the ground.

  


“hey hyung,” minhee says, back still facing yunseong. he makes a sound of questioning, too in his feelings to give a proper response.

  


“now it’s really a flower shower.” he says accompanied by a giggle, obviously pleased with his quip. yunseong chuckles and hits minhee’s arm. minhee gasps loudly, causing yunseong to unlatch himself from the younger’s waist. 

  


“hyung, i caught a flower!” he says adorably, showing off the flower perched on his hand perfectly. he’s smiling brightly, brighter than the sun on a scorching summer day where all the flowers flourish, brighter than any smile he’s ever given him. he smiles back, and that seems to be enough for minhee.

  


“i’m giving this flower to you. because you’re my source of strength, and happiness, and i don’t know where i’d be without you. your impact in my life is just the same as flowers, maybe even more. and i don’t know, i’m just really thankful for you, hyung.”

  


“that’s cute.”

  


“that’s all you have to say? ‘that’s cute?’ i compare you to my life’s greatest meaning and that’s your response? hyung, why did my heart even choose you?” minhee deadpans, a sarcastic tone coming up every now and then. 

  


“shut up, i’m nervous.” minhee laughs incredoulously, “what’s there to be nervous for? it’s just me.”

  


“yeah, well, i have a little something for you too.” yunseong murmurs as he digs around his pocket, looking for the black velvet box that houses his greatest declaration of love. minhee gasps, even louder than when he caught the daisy a while ago.

  


“hyung..”

  


“kang minhee, you have completed my world. i have turned it upside down and yet you are still here. you have been the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and i don’t think i can ever live without you. 

  


“a while ago, you were looking at choi jisu’s wedding with such longing and want, and i realized, i wanted to see that look again. i’ve had this ring for more than 2 months now, and i’ve been ready to marry you for more than 5, but the timing was never right, you know? 

  


“so when you looked at me a while ago, with the stars in your eyes, asking me if we would ever get married, i knew this was the time to say it. i had hyeongjun rush back to our apartment to fetch the ring for you, because i won’t let this moment pass. 

  


“i know this isn’t the ideal way to propose, we’re both in our work clothes and the floor has dried cola on it, i didn’t rehearse my script for shit, and it’s not what you envisioned it to be like. but i love you, and i’m so willing to give up my everything for you if it means you’ll be mine. so kang minhee, will you marry me?”

  


yunseong pops the box open, revealing a silver ring, with floral markings on the band and a magnificent silver rose in the middle, a diamond sitting on top of it. minhee gasps for the third time in the same hour, shocked at the ring;s beauty. it wasn’t ornate or over-the-top, nor was it ridiculously heavy, but it was simple the way minhee liked it. he looked at his boyfriend who was still kneeling on the floor, anticipating his response.

  


“hwang yunseong.”

“yes. my answer will always be yes.”

  


yunseong jumps up in joy, excitedly getting the ring from it’s box and slipping it in minhee’s left hand. it fits perfectly.

  


he kisses minhee right then and there, he doesn’t care if there’s people watching, he loves minhee, and he will marry him sooner than he thinks. he kisses minhee like he’s never before, full of love, and happiness, with the promise of forever and furthermore wrapped around minhee’s ring finger. 

  


as they let each other go, the hanging flowers fall some more, giving them the moment they’ve been savoring. they kiss once more, latching lips in the middle of a flower-filled hall. they smile through the kiss, this is the moment they’ve been waiting for, and it was all worth it. 

  


they announce the good news to their team, who made an unholy amount of noise that would definitely get them a complaint. it doesn’t matter now, they’re happy and together, that was all that matters. 

  


and please, it took them more than 20 years to get together, only for it to come to this moment, a little celebration wouldn’t hurt.

**Author's Note:**

> believe it or not, this au took me like 6 months to write, and it's not even that long. somewhere along the way i lost the story and i couldn't get back on track. honestly, this was supposed to be a bad ending, but i plotted against that, and that's what led me to get back to writing this so im very happy! i hope you enjoyed this as much as i did writing it and i hope you give it love because this is my first baby (hence the lapslock) that's it! i hope you liked the fic and thank you for reading <3
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/mnheecore)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/mnheecore)
> 
> stream [ batr ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFlceOv8LMU) and [ cloud 9 ](https://youtu.be/AUc9pglUn2E)!!


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